What is the Difference Between Typical and Atypical Pneumonia

The key difference between typical and atypical pneumonia is that typical pneumonia is a form of community-acquired pneumonia that tends to have more serious symptoms that come suddenly and need hospitalization, while atypical pneumonia is a form of community-acquired pneumonia that tends to have milder symptoms which are more persistent and do not need hospitalization.

Pneumonia is a lower respiratory infection caused by different pathogens. This condition may leave a person feeling very weak. People who get pneumonia should need rest for several days to fight off the infection. However, severe cases require hospitalization. Community-acquired pneumonia is pneumonia that is acquired outside the hospital. Typical and atypical pneumonia are two forms of community-acquired pneumonia.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Typical Pneumonia
3. What is Atypical Pneumonia
4. Similarities – Typical and Atypical Pneumonia
5. Typical vs Atypical Pneumonia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Typical vs Atypical Pneumonia

What is Typical Pneumonia?

Typical pneumonia is a form of community-acquired pneumonia that tends to have more serious symptoms. These symptoms come suddenly and do need hospitalization. The signs and symptoms of typical pneumonia may include sudden onset of fever, chills, pleuritic chest pain, productive cough, sputum production, dyspnea, shortness of breath, confusion, sepsis, multi-organ failure, tachypnea, increased vocal fremitus, egophony (increased resonance of voice sound), dullness to percussion, crackles, rales, bronchial breath sounds, and hypoxia. Typical pneumonia is caused by bacterial pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenza, etc. In Western countries, nearly 60-80% of community-acquired cases are caused by typical pneumonia pathogens.

Typical and Atypical Pneumonia - Side by Side Comparison

Figure 01: Typical Pneumonia

Typical pneumonia can be diagnosed through physical examination, chest X-ray, complete blood count, sputum Gram stain, CT scan, urine antigen test, lung biopsy, bronchoscopy, pleural biopsy, or pleural fluid culture. The treatment options for typical pneumonia include IV medications and empirical therapy with antibiotics such as macrolides (azithromycin and clarithromycin), fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and gemifloxacin), beta-lactam or third-generation cephalosporin, vancomycin, antivirals such as oseltamivir if positive for influenza and surgical decortication.

What is Atypical Pneumonia?

Atypical pneumonia is a form of community-acquired pneumonia that tends to have milder symptoms that are more persistent and do not need hospitalization. Atypical pneumonia is characterized by myalgias, fever without chills, headache, unproductive cough, persistent cough that comes throughout the day, a sore, dry, itchy throat, weakness, chest pain when breathing, aches, and pains in muscles and joints. The causative agents may include Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophilia, Chlamydia psittaci, and Coxiella burnetli. In western countries, nearly 10 to 20 % of community-acquired pneumonia are caused by atypical organisms.

Typical vs Atypical Pneumonia in Tabular Form

Figure 02: Atypical Pneumonia

Diagnosis of atypical pneumonia is carried out through physical exanimation (measuring pulse and breathing rate, checking oxygen level through oximeter, etc.), chest X-ray, complete blood count, and kidney function test. Furthermore, treatment options for atypical pneumonia may include antibiotics, antivirals, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), drinking a lot of non-caffeinated drinks such as water and herbal tea, and over-the-counter cough medications.

What are the Similarities Between Typical and Atypical Pneumonia?

Typical and atypical pneumonia are two forms of community-acquired pneumonia.
Both forms can be caused by bacterial pathogens.
They may have similar symptoms, such as chest pain while breathing and cough.
Both forms may be diagnosed through physical examination and chest X-ray.
They are treated mainly through medications like antibiotics and antivirals.

What is the Difference Between Typical and Atypical Pneumonia?

Typical pneumonia is a form of community-acquired pneumonia that tends to have more serious symptoms and needs hospitalization, while atypical pneumonia is a form of community-acquired pneumonia that tends to have milder symptoms that are more persistent and do not need hospitalization. Thus, this is the key difference between typical and atypical pneumonia. Furthermore, in Western countries, nearly 60-80% of community-acquired cases are caused by typical pneumonia pathogens, whereas in Western countries, nearly 10-20% of community-acquired cases are caused by atypical pneumonia pathogens.

The below infographic presents the differences between typical and atypical pneumonia in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Typical vs Atypical Pneumonia

Typical and atypical pneumonia are two types of community-acquired pneumonia. Typical pneumonia tends to have more serious symptoms that come suddenly and do need hospitalization. Causative agents of typical pneumonia are bacterial pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenza, etc. Atypical pneumonia tends to have milder symptoms which are more persistent and do not need hospitalization. Causative agents of atypical pneumonia are Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophilia, Chlamydia psittaci, and Coxiella burnetli. So, this is the key difference between typical and atypical pneumonia.